280 pages : 25 cm

A biography of the Polish-born French composer Freederic Chopin (1810-49) set against the turbulence of Paris in his time. Drawing on correspondence, diaries, and other contemporary sources, Siepmann, former head of music for the BBC World Service, argues that Chopin was inwardly out of step with the romantic era he has come to typify. Includes interviews with modern pianists who perform Chopin's music. c. Book News Inc

Discography: pages 243-249

Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-274) and index

Prophetic beginnings: 1810-1825 -- Town and country: 1825-1829 -- Celebrity and secret love: 1829-1831 -- Interlude: Chopin and the orchestra -- Patriots, pleasures, pain, and profits: 1830-1832 -- Interlude: Chopin and the waltz -- The dandy and the dilettantes: 1833-1837 -- Interlude: Chopin and the etude -- Priming the pump: 1834-1836 -- Interlude: Chopin and the Nocturne -- Majorca, misery, and the muse: 1837-1839 -- Interlude: Chopin and the prelude -- Rural retreat: 1839 -- Interlude: Chopin and the sonata -- Sinfonia domestica: 1839-1842 -- Interlude: ballades and scherzos -- Fame, fear, and family: 1842-1846 -- Interlude: Chopin and the polonaise -- The crack-up: 1846-1848 -- A foreign sojourn and an early grave: 1848-1849 -- Interlude: Chopin and the mazurka -- Chopin and posterity

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